Trader to be extradited over Sh23m bank heist

DPP Noordin Haji has directed that businessman Patrick Ingoi be extradited to Tanzania to face robbery with violence charges.

Ingoi is accused of raiding the National Bank of Tanzania in Moshi and stealing Sh23 million at gunpoint on May 21, 2004.

The robbery was jointly committed with other suspects. The High Court ordered that he be extradited to face the charges.

Ingoi lost an appeal to block his deportation.

“Following the Court of Appeal judgment dismissing the fugitive’s appeal, please find attached surrender warrant dully signed by the AG for your necessary action,” Haji told DCI boss George Kinoti in a letter dated January 4.

The surrender warrant was issued by Attorney General Paul Kihara.“Pursuant to Section 11 of the Extradition (Commonwealth Countries) Act, we do hereby issue a warrant of surrender of Ingoi to United Republic of Tanzania,” Kihara told Haji.

The AG’s letter to the DPP is dated January 3. Ingoi was arrested after the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court’s order granting state application to extradite the suspect.

His arrest was ordered by senior assistant DPP Moses O’Mirera. Ingoi, who was in court at the time of the ruling, was arrested after the judges delivered their ruling and taken to Kilimani police station.

He was detained pending the processing of his extradition documents. The Tanzanian government had requested Kenya to commence the extradition of Ingoi.

The state lost its first application in a lower court which dismissed extradition request before it was granted by the High Court upon appeal.

Court of Appeal bench of Philip Waki, Roselyn Nambuye and Patrick Kiage dismissed Ingoi’s appeal.

“The suspect should be handed over to Tanzanian authorities so that he can face the charges,” the judges ruled.

Tanzanian authorities said Ingoi, then aged 39, was a businessman who resided at Jacaranda estate in Nairobi. Police recovered Sh170,000 and thousands of US dollars from his house.

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